And That's What Magic Feels Like
by Mia-Zeklos
Summary: A (little late for the occasion) story that shows us a Halloween masquerade ball at Malfoy Manor which Marius Black is supposed to attend - even though the idea isn't really that appealing to him...


**Author's notes: Well, like I said, I'm a bit too late, but this was originally posted (on Deviantart, where it was written for a Halloween prompt) on 31st October.**

**But anyway, since I currently found I really like that pairing for some reason, here's some more from it and… Happy Halloween everyone! Reviews are always welcome.**

Fall had always been Marius's favourite part of the year and Halloween was usually a holiday he enjoyed greatly, especially if he was to spend it outside. The cool wind, the falling of the leaves all around him and that specific scent of coming winter in the air was something that made him feel alive more than almost anything else.

And yes, now he was to spend it in a house with about two hundred guests.

Marius pursed his lips slightly when he entered the Malfoy Manor. It was, as always on holidays like Halloween or New Year's Eve, full of people everywhere around it, already entering the house or still waiting for someone else that was supposed to be with them. If it wasn't Abraxas who had asked him to come, he wouldn't bother at all – and plus, even a crowded manor was more pleasant than his parents on a day like that – a day in which Muggles dressed as wizards and witches. Marius knew that his whole family despised Halloween, and plus, he would be obliged to hear some pretty nasty jokes about how he was supposed to go out with the Muggles, because he was barely any magical than them.

He handed the invitation – a vivid purple one – to the witch standing near the front doors, and entered the gardens of the Malfoy Manor, letting his eyes fall shut and praying to whatever deity was paying attention. _Please, don't let me screw things again._

He had been kindly invited to the Malfoys's Halloween party, by Abraxas's mother, a few weeks ago. Back then, Marius had made up an excuse for not having the time or being busy somewhere else by that time. But when, later the same day, Abraxas himself had basically begged him to come… well, he couldn't say 'no' to his best friend, no matter what occasion it came to.

The entrance hall of the Malfoy Manor was properly decorated for the event and it seemed like the house elves and the habitants themselves had spent hours on it; even the portraits on the walls were talking excitedly, and Marius had never seen them do anything but glare at him silently.

"Marius! Finally! I thought you have changed your mind in the last moment." Marius yelped in surprise when he heard Abraxas's hissing voice in his ear. Just a second ago, there was nobody but him in the hallway.

He turned back to see his friend, who was grinning at him. "What? You expected me to be somewhere around, didn't you? It's my family holding that party after all." Abraxas said mockingly, though it was obvious he didn't mean to offend him.

"O-of course." Marius agreed immediately, nodding. His panic had almost nothing to do with the fact that Abraxas had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

It was mostly because he couldn't take his eyes off his friend and because he continued just standing there staring at him like an idiot.

Abraxas was wearing a Venetian mask that was covering his whole face (the dress code for the night clearly said that only women could wear only 'half a mask', that was only for their eyes), but Marius could still spot his liquid silver eyes shining under it, and his hair was falling down, almost reaching his shoulders. He was dressed in some kind of a black suit that was probably designed in the early 18th century and it fitted the mask – and the whole place – perfectly. If he had had the bravery to admit it even to himself, Marius would say that he was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"H-how did you recognise me so fast?" he managed to ask at last. Abraxas laughed and leaded him to the ballroom as he spoke.

"Of course I would recognise you, Marius. You're the only person here that will stay in the middle of the entrance hall when there's so much more to do! And plus…" Abraxas's cool fingers closed around the younger boy's wrist and he almost dragged him into the main hall. "…There is no one else I was actually looking forward to see tonight."

Right now, Marius was extremely grateful that his own mask was covering his whole face, because he knew that he had blushed. _Stop it,_ he said firmly to himself. _He means nothing like that. He's just glad to see you; don't get your hopes up._

"Anyway" Abraxas had to raise his voice when they entered the actual hall. There was music coming from the new gramophone Marius had seen last week in here, and almost everybody was dancing. "May I invite you to dance with me?"

Marius stopped dead where he stood. Nobody – nobody ever – had asked him to dance, and the fact that it was _Abraxas _doing it made things even weirder for him. He had to be either just joking, making fun of him, or just… well, he was probably just insane. Which Marius had always suspected anyway.

Either way, he felt completely embarrassed – and shocked – of what Abraxas had just said. Had he guessed what Marius was feeling for him during all this time? And if yes, why didn't he tell him earlier, why hadn't he told him how stupid and unnatural it was before?

_Of course he wouldn't do such a thing, _Marius thought bitterly. Abraxas was the person who had taught him that he was supposed to enjoy his life in any way he liked. But – let alone the fact that he was a boy – Marius knew that his friend is just living in some completely different world. He would never look at him and think about him in any way than a younger, more stupid and less social boy.

So the only option left was that Abraxas was mocking him for his feelings – if he knew about them at all.

"May you… what?" he asked at last, giving Abraxas a cool, yet interested look, trying to seem as indifferent as he could manage to. He couldn't let his actual emotions crawl on his face.

"I asked you if you'd like to dance with me, Marius." Abraxas said, sounding annoyed. He had strange ideas like that quite often and, as much as Marius knew, he wasn't really bothered by his affections, no matter if they lay with a girl or a boy. Marius was used to that certain way of his friend to enjoy his life as much as he could and in whatever way he found suitable to do it, but this was just too much.

"This is utterly ridiculous, Rax." He said, his voice shaking. "I know that you like to do whatever you want but… there's a place where you must draw the line."

"What's the matter?" Abraxas actually sounded almost offended now. "You don't want to dance with me? I've always thought that you'd like to..."

"It's not funny!" Marius hissed and he felt his eyes burning as if he was about to cry. And that would be the end of it all, of course. Everyone knew he could barely hold a wand in his hand, _almost _everybody supposed why he couldn't find a proper fiancée (which was mostly because he had never actually looked at a girl the way every boy should at some point of his life, and the only person he had fallen in love was his best and only friend), and now there would be nothing left from his reputation, if he was to start crying in the middle in the hall. He was seventeen-year-old, for God's sake. "I don't know why you do this, but if you find it amusing, then you can simply go kill yours…"

"Marius?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

He did.

Abraxas took hold of his hand again and leaded him into one of the corners of the room, where there was almost nobody around. He hurriedly took off his mask and also Marius's, so they could see each other properly.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you in some way." He said in a low voice. "I actually thought that you would like to be around me… that you would like me to act with you like that. And I thought that… since it's Halloween and I know it was always your favourite holiday…" Abraxas smiled apologetically. "Well, I thought I could give you this."

And before Marius could have any chance to ask him what he was talking about, Abraxas leaned closer to him and kissed him.

He didn't react in any way. He was just standing here, too stunned to do anything but close his eyes and let Abraxas kiss him as he was never kissed before (which, admittedly, wasn't really such a big deal when Marius hadn't had any actual kiss until now). He had never truly experienced magic – he was almost a Squib, after all – but he supposed it would feel something like that – like he was set on fire and yet it didn't burn him; it only seemed as if the light was surrounding him from everywhere and his every sense was working on its fullest and–

And then Abraxas broke the kiss, discretely letting him go.

Marius opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't find his voice, and he was not sure that speaking was such a good idea anyway – he was probably going to say something pretty stupid if he'd had the chance.

"R-rax" he managed at last. "What do you think you're…"

"You'll stay for the rest of the night, won't you?" the older boy asked. The look in his eyes kind of scared Marius for a second. It was a concerned, rather confused look, slightly dazed. "I have to deal with mother and father for a while, but I really have to talk to you later again."

"Yes, I'll stay." Marius said automatically. His mind was still clouded from that kiss and he couldn't really think for anything right now. "But I still don't see what this has to do with…"

"Shhh." Abraxas smiled gently at him, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. "Happy Halloween, Marius."


End file.
